Laugh in the face of Volt-Turn

[Mazz]

...because Rotom and Scizor have nothing on me.

LAUGH IN THE FACE OF VOLT-TURN

Introduction

I'm back in OU now after not having done much in it for the longest period of time. Ever since the new tier changes and my previous team, Dancing Lucario, having become so obselete, I've decided to come back from ADV, DPP OU and BW UU to play the current Metagame. This is my first OU RMT since having posted Dancing Lucario, and because unlike at Serebii, where I came from, there's a solid competitive section here and I can expect to see some good rates and help further my team, not the amusement of the rater.

I began getting serious into competitive play at the tail-end of DPP and the intro to BW. It was tough, as I had just began to figure out how the Gen IV Meta worked and a new one came along, and shot down 70% of what I knew. Having laddered since roughly June, I've began to see more in-depth as to how a team functions around a core unit, and how weather, albeit one of the worst in my own opinion, has become the dominant force of BW OU, along with the likes of the infamous Scizor / Rotom-W combination. Because of these game-breaking forces, I've decided to build "Laugh in the face of Volt-Turn" not only to shut down the idea of a Scizor / Rotom-W core, but help slow and oppose whatever weather it may face.

Laugh in the face of Volt-Turn is a team not only for shutting down what is seen most in OU, but a way to show that the current Metagame is not always going to be about Weather or infamous cores, and that a non-weather team can still shine in today's Metagame. The primary design allows it to take on the likes of Rotom-W, Scizor, Politoed, Ninetails, Tyranitar, and Abomasnow right off the first turn, and continue to break down their corresponding style of team as need-be. Laddering under the name of "Pokemazter" or "Mazz", I've managed to hit #178 twice before ultimately tilting back down to #4000+, where I currently sit. This team is not quite "A-Game" material, and does still need some work.

Teambuilding Process

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1.

This is what the initial outlook of the team looked like, but far from impressed was I with the effort it was showing, as high-usage threats like Conkeldurr, Landorus, and Terrakion were causing hell amongst the team, even with Gyarados and Bulk Up Breloom among its ranks. I tried experimenting with a Choice Scarf Terrakion over Infernape myself, but it just made the problem of Scizor first, so Infernape got the callback. Gyarados functioned as the centerfold of the team, having been built around one, and was my primary physically defensive pivot because of the effects from Intimidate while setting up and sweeping. Breloom was to shut down Rotom-W, a big threat to Gyarados, and utilize Spore to remove heavy counters to the team on the switch in. Starmie and Heatran were my Special Sweepers, one providing Rapid Spin support and the other, a revenge-killer. Blissey served as a tank for Pokemon such as Volcarona and the new Alakazam, while Infernape served as a way to provide momentum and an easy KO-er. The team seemed mediocre, somewhat dangerous at best, considering most of the wins I got were too close for comfort or against players new to the metagame. Hax, being the factor it is, won me a handful of matches too.

2.

The changes made were designed to end the immediate threats of Conkeldurr, Terrakion, and Landorus. Scizor is my way go-to form of revenge killing now, as Bullet Punch gains some much needed priority, and gives me a much needed way to bring down the terror of Terrakion and Choiced Psyshock users such as Latios. Scizor is handy for dealing with Reuniclus too, as it can come in and simply U-Turn out. Gengar I found to be an interesting but logical addition, as he can come in on Choice Scarf Landorus' Earthquake, proceed to get a Substitute up and do what it does best. It does well against Conkeldurr too, Disabling Stone Edge or Payback, and trolling to no end. I've only had one or two battles with the team at this stage, and it works well enough.

3.

So, with having the team on Smogon on for about two days, it's already come under fire and seen a plethora of changes, such as Dragonite for Gyarados, Slowbro for Gengar, and Chansey for Blissey. These changes were based around general team support and the ability to deal with things commonly paired with Rotom-W and Scizor and the Dragon-Type Pokemon that plague the OU Metagame. Dragonite's dead useful against Venusaur too, as long as it isn't running Hidden Power Ice. Slowbro can tank hits from Terrakion and Landorus much better than what the team could before, giving it a more defensive edge. Speaking of defensive edge, Chansey, arguably the best Evolite user, provides an excelent source of bulk and support much like her older sister did on the team, but on a whole new level.

In-Depth

Dragonite (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dragon Claw
- Fire Punch
- Earthquake
- ExtremeSpeed

Not the initial Sea-Dragon of my choice, Dragonite replaces the once standing Gyarados as the centrefold of the team. The ability to check things like Venusaur or opposing Dragon-Types was something I lacked on the team, leaving a fair protion of most teams to basically have a field-day with the team. Dragonite is all about coming in on weakened offensive threats and smashing the hell out of them, whether it be picking them off with the +2 Priority in Extremespeed, the blazing Fire Punch to hit Ferrothorn and Scizor, the ground-tearing Earthquake to hit Fire-Types like Heatran and Volcarona, or the almighty Dragon Claw for STAB. Because it is a choice Band variation, prediction is needed for when to unleash the right move.

When it was first suggested, I was really against using Dragonite, as I do really like what Gyarados can provide to the metagame, but the change has faired quite well with me. Starmie fits quite well with him, spinning away those entry hazards, namely Stealth Rock, keeping the oldschool dragon up at as high an HP it can maintain. Dragonite was really enjoying the wish support from Blissey, but getting Stealth Rock support from Chansey has fared well too.​

Breloom (M) @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 236 HP / 212 SDef / 60 Spd
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Bulk Up
- Spore
- Seed Bomb
- Drain Punch

Bulk Up Breloom is scary good, being able to take a few Special Attacks while setting up and recovering HP with Poison Heal and Toxic Orb, then unleashing its own fury. Much like Taunt and Dragon Dance form the crux of Gyarados' set, Bulk Up and Spore do the same and function in a similar manner, except Spore can potentially cripple a Pokemon for the duration of the battle if the opponent doesn't wait out the sleep turns and switches immediately. If set up with Bulk Up, not much will beat Breloom physically, unless it's a critical hit. Bulk Up allows his two STAB moves to reach crazy-powerful levels, bringing down many threats that normally wouldn't be KO'd by the Spore+3 Attacks variants of Breloom. Seed Bomb provides powerful STAB, as does Drain Punch, with the latter providing Breloom with a form of recovery, prolonging his sweep.

I've even been asked about it, but no I do not and probably will not run Mach Punch. Even with Poison Heal recovering twice the amount that Leftovers does, increased damage output and a better form of HP recovery are more favourable to me. Stone Edge isn't going to happen most likely either, as the STAB Seed Bomb provides to destroy Rotom-W and other water types is oh so crucial, especially if the goal of the team is to bring game-play styles such as to their knees.​

Starmie @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Rapid Spin
- Hydro Pump
- Thunderbolt
- Recover

Starmie is my immediate go-to Special Attacker and Rapid Spinner. It also gives me a way to snipe down things like Skarmory, a Pokemon that would normally wall most of my team if Starmie wasn't here. Because I'm running Life Orb, Recover is a mainstay, keeping Starmie alive longer to make sure that the threat of Skarmory is taken care of. Rapid Spin keeps my sweepers such as Gyarados, Gengar, or Scizor alive longer as they no longer need to fear the residual damage from Stealth Rock, Toxic Spikes, or Spikes. Hydro Pump and Thunderbolt were my moves of choice, providing some decent coverage, hitting Heatran, Hippowdon, and the aforementioned Skarmory. The chance for Paralysis that Thunderbolt provides is nice to have around, supporting Breloom with his sweeps.

I'm not entirely sure with whether to use Ice Beam over Thunderbolt, seeing that both are recommended by Smogon. I'm quite used to having both, so I'm not quite sure which to chose from.​

Slowbro (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SAtk
Relaxed Nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Scald
- Thunder Wave
- Slack Off
- Psychic

Replacing what was arguably the weakest link of the team, Slowbro, the next-best thing to Skarmory defensive wall-wise, and to an extent, arguably better than the Tin Phoenix, comes into the picture to tank hits from Scizor, Terrakion, and Landorus while threatening with Moves like Scald or Fire Blast. Scald is STAB, one one of the most used moves come the transition to Black and White, providing great team support with the great chance for a burn, further crippling the physical threats that Slowbro likes to switch in on. Thunder Wave provides the team a chance to outspeed the likes of Latios (if I catch it on the switch-in), ScRotom-W, and other fast threats. The Paralysis can also act as a buffer and give me the chance to set up Breloom or Dragonite while the opponent can't move. Slack off gives HP recovery when switching is no longer an option or just to tank more hits. Psychic is a bloody great move to have with Scald, as so many Grass-Types are Grass/Poison, and two are Grass/Fight. Whatever Ice Beam was hitting, Scald, Stealth Rock, and Psychic do just as well, and in some cases better than Ice Beam. Great for using against Conkeldurr and other fighting types that could really hurt the team.

Having used Slowbro moreso in the UnderUsed tier, it'll be interesting to see how it works in the OverUsed Metagame. Funny bit of background info, but I used to run a Slowbro back in DPP OU. I started this mainstream crap, lol.​

Chansey (F) @ Eviolite
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Seismic Toss
- Softboiled
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic

The younger sister of Blissey does basically what the older one does, bar the wish support. Designed to support the team as a whole with Stealth Rock and Toxic, Chansey makes the sweeps of Dragonite, Breloom, and Starmie much easier. Seismic toss, much like it did for Blissey, provides a more reliable form of damage and a way for Blissey to smash Substitutes. Softboiled keeps Chansey alive much longer, restoring 50% of its massive HP in one fell swoop.

Because Pokemon like Scizor and Dragonite appreciate having wish support, would this set work if I were to use Wish over Softboiled? It would make Chansey's job a little more dangerous, but with her supreme bulk thanks to Evolite, could it work?​

Scizor (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Pursuit

Scizor, since DPP has been and always will continue to be a major threat in the Metagame. It's attack, ability, and great STAB moves really do Scizor justice. This Choice Scarf version has a slightly lesser punch. Bullet Punch and U-Turn are STAB and game-changing moves, allowing me to knock out any weakened Pokemon or shift my momentum and scout the opponent's team. Superpower and Pursuit are my chosen coverage moves, hitting Heatran on the switch, and trapping the Lati twins respectively.

Being faster, it allows me to easily scout teams and pick off Celebi, a Pokemon known to cause the team problems. Late-game however, I'm not fond of its power. Any ideas?​

Conclusion

I'd first of like to mention that there should be more up detail wise once I've laddered with the team more, as I'll get to know it better. If you have any concerns with how I've done something with the team, feel free to address them, as it'll benefit the team greatly. I'll most likely add a past members section tomorrow when I have time, to further show how the team has evolved in less than a handful of days. I'm finding Bulk-Up and Dragon Dance Scrafty to be a real pain for the team, especially if they carry the Shed Skin ability. I've debated running a Scarf Terrakion over Scizor, will this work?Thanks for reading! A last look at the team:

Ranking as of 04/01/12

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Past Members

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Infernape (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Blaze
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Overheat
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- U-turn

Heatran (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Fire Blast
- Dragon Pulse
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Grass]

Gyarados (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 156 HP / 72 Atk / 96 Def / 184 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Taunt
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Bounce

Gengar (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Disable
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast

Blissey (F) @ (No Item)
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Wish
- Protect
- Toxic
- Seismic Toss

Exportable Version

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Dragonite (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dragon Claw
- Fire Punch
- Earthquake
- ExtremeSpeed

Breloom (M) @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 236 HP / 212 SDef / 60 Spd
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Bulk Up
- Spore
- Seed Bomb
- Drain Punch

Starmie @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Rapid Spin
- Hydro Pump
- Thunderbolt
- Recover

Slowbro (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SAtk
Relaxed Nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Scald
- Thunder Wave
- Slack Off
- Psychic

Chansey (F) @ Eviolite
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Seismic Toss
- Softboiled
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic

Scizor (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Pursuit

 

[Mazz]

Red indicates a major threat, Blue indicates a minor threat, and Plain text represents no threat.

Offensive Threats

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Tyranitar:

• Choice Band - Scizor can Bullet Punch / U-Turn / Superpower and easily eliminate. Breloom quite enjoys draining HP from Tyranitar too.
• Choice Scarf - Scizor's Bullet Punch easily does this Pokemon in.
• Dragon Dance - Again, Scizor's Bullet Punch does wonders here. A U-Turn does too if I can nab it on the Dragon Dance or Switch.

Rotom-W:

• Choice Scarf / Specs - Breloom can come in and take everything but a Hidden Power Fire. Chansey has to be cautious of a Trick, or it'll be crippled for the entire battle. Breloom is my only real check or counter to Rotom-W however.

Scizor:

• Choice Band - Slowbro absolutely tanks and can seriously damage Scizor with either Scald, scoring a burn, or choosing to decimate it with Fire Blast.
• Swords Dance - Much like the above, but Slowbro wants to be able to score the burn or KO all the more, especially on a boosted Bug Bite.

Dragonite:

• Choice Band - I have to predict when the switch it coming to Spore and continue to Bulk Up with Breloom to beat out. If it Outrages, Scizor can just spam Bullet Punch. My Dragonite can come in on the Earthquake or Fire Punch and Set up, allowing for a sweep.
• Dragon Dance - I have no real answer to Dragon Dance Dragonite, as many hold Lum Berry, negating the Sleep from Breloom, unless I catch it in on the switch. Between Scizor's Bullet Punch and Dragonite's Extremespeed, I should be able to nab a KO, but at the cost of one of those two Pokemon.
• Mixed - Prediction is the key here, where Hurricane and Thunder can be absorbed by Chansey, and Outrage by Scizor, where each individual can attack accordingly. Same goes for the standard mixed sets, although Scizor does fear a stray Fire Blast.
• Parashuffler - Erm, I just have to beat it down with Scizor and my own Dragonite.

Politoed:

• Choice Specs / Scarf - Chansey absorbs all that Choice Politoed can throw at her, stalling the rain frog out with wish and protect.

Heatran:

• Standard - Chansey, like it does any Special attacker, takes everything Heatran has.

Jirachi:

• Substitute + Calm Mind / Wish + Calm Mind - This is getting repetative. Chansey. See why it walls any other Special Attacker listed above.

Latios:

• Life Orb - Chansey, much like it does Heatran, Rotom-W, SubCM Jirachi, and Politoed, can take everything Latios wants to throw at it.
• Choice Scarf / Specs - Get Chansey to take a hit, then trap with Scizor's Pursuit.
• Calm Mind - Much like the above sets, Chansey does very well against Latios, basically removing it from my list of threats.

Reuniclus:

• Calm Mind - Chansey and Scizor. Sensing a pattern.
• Offensive Trick Room - If it's carrying Shadow Ball and Focus Miss, then Chansey does the job.

Haxorus:

• Choice Scarf / Choice Band - Get it in an Outrage, hit it with Scizor. Get it Earthquaking, Send out Dragonite.
• Dragon Dance - Bullet Punch the hell out of it.
• Double Dance - Tuck head between legs, kiss ass goodbye, and Bullet Punch. Dragonite can come in and Extremespeed too.

Ninetales:

• Nasty Plot - Chansey walls it.
• Choice Specs - Chansey walls it.
• Special Attacker - Must I emphasize? Chansey walls it.

Conkeldurr:

• Bulk Up - Get Gengar behind a Substitute, disable the coverage move, bring Substitute back up, attack. Rinse and repeat.

Celebi:

• Nasty Plot Sweeper - Blissey again. now I see why it's so good in OU.
• Tinkerbell - Blissey likes Celebi. Easy to set wish-passes up on it.
• Choice Specs / Choice Scarf - Blissey. Scizor can catch it on a giga Drain and either trap or U-Turn.

Terrakion:

• Double Dance - Scizor loves 'dem Bullet Punches.
• Choice Scarf / Choice Band - Spam Bullet Punch, switch Gyarados in on the Close Combat.

Gyarados:

• Offensive / Bulky Dragon Dance - Spore with Breloom if lucky, send my own Gyarados to Intimidate, and get Starmie to Thunderbolt it.

Gengar:

• Substitute + Disable / Pain Split - Chansey, but it can only stall it out. If the Substitute is down, or Focus Blast is out of PP, Scizor will enjoy fighitng Gengar. I think Dragonite can pose as a massive threat to Gengar too.

Starmie:

• Life Orb - Chansey.
• Rapid Spin - Chansey.
• Choice Specs - Fat Pink Blob Jr.

Landorus:

• Rock Polish / Swords Dance - Send out Slowbro to tank it and hit back with Scald.
• Choice Scarf - Predict the Earthquake, go with Dragonite. Otherwise, just use Slowbro.
• Substitute + 3 Attacks - Scizor's Bullet Punch does well here to break the Substitute, and Slowbro really doesn't take much from Landorus.

Infernape:

• Mixed Attacker - Slowbro won't mind having to take an Overheat and Scald or Psychic back.
• Nasty Plot / Swords Dance Booster - Nasty Plot is eaten by Chansey for Breakfast. Swords dance is much like mixed, where prediction is key.
• Choice Band - Another one of those Pokemon that Slowbro likes to come in on. Really isn't bothered much by any of its moves.

Volcarona:

• Offensive Quiver Dance - Chansey can just Softboiled it into an oblivion. Won't be liking Stealth Rock either.
• Bulky Quiver Dance - See above, except with some Seismic Toss action.
• Chesto Rest - As long as Chansey can score in a Toxic, Volcarona will be hard-pressed to do much with Stealth Rock on the field.
• Substitute - Chansey can smash subs with Seismic Toss and Softboiled and Toxic until it dies off.

Magnezone:

• Substitute - Chansey. Breloom can get a Drain Punch in, but isn't very fond of Hidden Power Fire.
• Choice Scarf - Get on the prediction train, wreck hell as needed with Breloom, Dragonite, Chansey, etc.

Espeon:

• Calm Mind - As long as it has little to no BP boosts, Scizor can just U-Turn to KO. Chansey does well here too.

Salamence:

• Dragon Dance - It's mainly about taking it out with Scizor's Bullet Punch and Dragonite's ExtremeSpeed.
• Mixed - See above. Chansey can take Fire Blast and Draco Meteor, then Dragonite can come in to take the Brick Break.
• Defensive - Starmie can Rapid Spin any hazards on the field, and Chansey can Toxic. Won't be liking a Bullet Punch from Scizor once at low enough health.

Hydreigon:

• Offensive - Chansey. Toxic and Softboiled.
• Choice Specs / Choice Scarf - Exact same as above.

Breloom:

• Sub Seed - Dragonite hasn't much of a problem just Fire Punching away on these or just Outraging.
• Sub Punch - Same as above. My own Breloom can get some Bulk ups in and threaten back with Drain Punch. SubPunch Breloom is a bit more troublesome however, as the insane power of Focus Punch is ridiculous.

Latias:

• Calm Mind - Chansey can wall it even if Psyshock is present, and Scizor can trap with U-turn or Pursuit as long as Hidden Power Fire isn't present.

Toxicroak:

• Swords Dance - Beaten out by Bullet Punch from Scizor.
• Bulk Up - No set counter, but I could probably just beat it out with Slowbro.

Lucario:

• Swords Dance - Bulk Up Breloom can Drain Punch, but has to be wary of Ice Punch if it's running it.
• Nasty Plot - Chansey can take and stall all Special Attacks up until +4 methinks.

Virizion:

• Calm Mind - Chansey once again sponges all the attacks and can stall out Focus Blast.
• Swords Dance - Scizor can just come in and U-Turn on the switch or setup.

Scrafty:

• Dragon Dance - Slowbro can wall it out and Burn it with Scald.
• Bulk Up - Same as above.

Venusaur:

• Special Growth - Chansey can take it, but not for very long. Dragonite can set up on the sets without HP Ice
• Mixed Growth - Dragonite does the job here too, as long as HP Ice isn't here.
• SubSeed - Haven't a clue. Never seen one. I'm guessing that Scizor and Chansey would be able to do the job.

Metagross:

• Stealth Rock - No true counter. Scizor's U-Turn or Dragonite's Fire Punch is as good as it gets.
• Choice Scarf / Choice Band - Predict the right move and continue to set up accordingly.
• Agility - No true counter. Scizor's U-Turn or Dragonite's Fire Punch is as good as it gets.

Mienshao:

• All-Out Attacker - Scizor's Bullet Punch should be enough to handle this thing.
• Choice Scarf / Choice Band - Gyarados can come in on a STAB move, but has to be careful of Stone Edge.

Cloyster:

• Shell Smash - Between Breloom's Spore and Scizor's Bullet Punch, I'm usually fine, but late game, I always lose to this Pokemon. Slowbro could probably wall it, even after the set-up.

Mamoswine:

• Physical Attacker - Scizor's Bullet Punch once again does wonders.

Darmanitan:

• Choice Scarf - Slowbro just plain walls it.

Tornadus:

• Rain Abuser - If it lacks Hammer Arm, Chansey. If not, Scizor can attempt to handle it, but it doesn't always KO with Bullet Punch. Starmie can outspeed and use Thunderbolt.

Defensive Threats

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Tyranitar:

• Specially Defensive - Scizor's Bullet Punch and U-Turn once again do wonders.

Rotom-W:

• Standard - Chansey can take it, even with Pain Split. As can Breloom.

Ferrothorn:

• Standard - Breloom can set up and beat down the spiky Durian. Starmie can spin its efforts away.

Politoed:

• Defensive - Chansey walls it, but has to be leery of Perish Song.

Gliscor:

• Swords Dance - Starmie can easily Hydro Pump it out of play.
• Substitute + Protect - Same as above.
• AcroBat - Slowbro ruins it with its immense bulk. Starmie just comes in to clean up.
• Defensive - Starmie again.

Heatran:

• Specially Defensive - Starmie can threaten with Hydro Pump, spin the Rocks, and really doesn't have to fear Toxic or Lava Plume.

Jirachi:

• Specially Defensive - I can intimidate it and whatnot, and even Spore it, and attempt to KO with Breloom, but it outspeeds and can hax my team out. Dragonite might be able to knock it out with Fire Punch.

Skarmory:

• Physically Defensive Spiker - Starmie can threaten it, as can Dragonite, but without them, I have to predict a Roost and Superpower it with Scizor.
• Specially Defensive Spiker - Basically the same as above, just with an added Thunderbolt / Hydro Pump / Fire Punch.

Ninetales:

• Specially Defensive - Chansey's got better Sp.Def, and with Sleep Clause, gets wrecked.

Celebi:

• Physically Defensive - Without Psychic, Dragonite cleans up nicely here.

Forretress:

• Physically Defensive Spiker - Dragonite's Fire Punch once again.
• Specially Defensive Spiker - Same as above.

Gyarados:

• RestTalk - Starmie's Thunderbolt goes a long way with these defensive checks.

Jellicent:

• Utility Counter - Starmie's Thunderbolt here too. Won't really like taking a +1 Outrage from Dragonite either.

Tentacruel:

• Toxic Spikes - Starmie can Rapid Spin, Breloom can Seed Bomb.

Gastrodon:

• Tank - Breloom can switch in on the Toxic, and just set up and Seed Bomb.

Espeon:

• Dual Screens - My best bet is just whittling away at it with Scizor's U-Turn and Bullet Punch.
• Baton Pass - Same as above. Dragonite's Outrage or ExtremeSpeed might help too.

Blissey:

• Support - Scizor, Breloom, and Dragonite all threaten Blissey.

Vaporeon:

• Wish Support - Breloom does wonders with Chansey.

Latias:

• Support - Chansey can manhandle it.

Bronzong:

• Tank - Starmie spins, Dragonite can get a Dragon Dance or two up and proceed to Fire Punch.
• Dual Screens - No definite counter, just a matter of Sporing, Fire Punching, and Hydro Pumping.

Swampert:

• Defensive - Breloom. If I ever see one in OU again.

Mew:

• Stallbreaker - Chansey can whittle away at it and Scizor can Bullet Punch, but risks getting burned.

Slowbro:

• Tank - Starmie's Thunderbolt brings Slowbro to its knees, arrows and all, and if set up and Spore'd, Breloom can break it down.

Quagsire:

• Curse - Spore from Breloom, Seed Bomb from Breloom.
• Specially Defensive - Spore from Breloom, Seed Bomb from Breloom.
• Physically Defensive - Spore from Breloom, Seed Bomb from Breloom.

 

[Vein]

nice team here. but i still can't see how you can beat the volt-turn combo..
can you show us a log facing one using this team?

i'll test the team and rate it later but what i see right now is there's a need to change gyara to probably a dragon? and you got no SR. Volc and draggy will definitely wreck the team, but let's see...

 

[Mazz]

nice team here. but i still can't see how you can beat the volt-turn combo..
can you show us a log facing one using this team?

i'll test the team and rate it later but what i see right now is there's a need to change gyara to probably a dragon? and you got no SR. Volc and draggy will definitely wreck the team, but let's see...

Breloom is the crux that wrecks the Volt-Turn combo, as after a Bulk Up or Two, Scizor can't touch it, and Rotom falls like a lumpy sack of shit to it, as long as I have enough HP to survive the Hidden Power Fire or if Rain is up.

The option of Stealth Rock was addressed with Blissey and whether or not it should replace Toxic.

 

[Vein]

ok. just tested the team and here it goes:
1. lots of guys can set-up on the team esp draggy and volcanora
2. you don't really need bliss on the team. she just became a liability at some point.
3. sun teams are headache
4. no real answer to dragons (dragon teams makes sure scizor can be dealt with)

instead of blissey, you can run heatran instead with SR/FB/Earth Power/HP Ice. this will solve 2,3,4 and hope volc has no hp ground to deal with 1.

and i really don't like gyara on the team. salamence or dragonite might be a good idea. Mence is better to stop physical set-ups thru intimidate.

plus any team with starmie can't be called volt-turn stopper...

 

[Mazz]

ok. just tested the team and here it goes:
1. lots of guys can set-up on the team esp draggy and volcanora
2. you don't really need bliss on the team. she just became a liability at some point.
3. sun teams are headache
4. no real answer to dragons (dragon teams makes sure scizor can be dealt with)

instead of blissey, you can run heatran instead with SR/FB/Earth Power/HP Ice. this will solve 2,3,4 and hope volc has no hp ground to deal with 1.

and i really don't like gyara on the team. salamence or dragonite might be a good idea. Mence is better to stop physical set-ups thru intimidate.

plus any team with starmie can't be called volt-turn stopper...

Well, I guess this is helpful. Except for the fact that most Dragonite carry Earthquake. And Blissey shuts down any given Volcarona any day of the week through stall efforts, Toxic, and predictions. Not that hard to get Gyarados in on it either, especially the Hidden Power Ground variants. But that's just me, I think. Hell I could be wrong. I haven't experienced this team nor Metagame enough to know for sure. How is Blissey just a "liability"? The ability to fully recover my Scizor and Breloom as saved me quite a bit from what I've tested. The team is built around Gyarados. Couldn't care that much if it doesn't fit your playstyle, it fits mine, and I rather quite enjoy it on the team. Anyways, what exactly is it that you "don't like" about it? The movepool? The set? Gimme something to work off here. Gyarados has Intimidate by the way, and it's much bulkier than Salamence, bar the x4 Electric Weakness. What would you recommend for Dragonite, and for who? I'm not thrilled about the Heatran for Blissey idea.

Also, I don't see why having a Starmie on my team instantly voids the other five members unable to shut down Volt-Turn.

 

[Vein]

i believe the main point of your team is to stop volt turn, right?

the case is this: when rotom-w sees the bliss, he'll be gladly to use trick and really mess her up. plus the presence of starmie means voltturn feast, which also make gyara switch a lot harder.

and i give up on the gyara..i realized he's a good poke anyway. BUT you really need somebody to stop dragons (you have no ice nor dragon attacks), that's why i think heatran and salamence are good bet. you might also want to run a poke with wow/thunder wave to stop ddnite (heatran or bliss maybe?)

 

[voidzone]

If I wanted to build a team for the purpose of stopping volt turn, I would
consider two things

1) Stealth Rock : Voltturn means constant switching and SR greatly
reduces the effectiveness of this, you already run Sub/Disable Gengar,
which will help keeping the rocks on the field.

2) Volt-Switch is a move that can be easily prevented by switching
a ground type into it and because most Rotom-W carry a Choice Item,
they usually have to switch out, which means they lose
momentum and give you a free turn.
Landorus would be a great mon for this, since he resists U-turn in addition thanks to its flying type and is faster than non-scarfed Rotom, which means he can sub in front of it to scout for non-choiced ones.

If countering Dragons are an issue for your team, you might consider
Stone Edge on Gyara, that allows him to revenge-kill sala and dragonite,
or run icebeam > thunderbolt on starmie, since skarm takes lots of damage
from Hydro Pump anyway.

 

[Oblivion IX]

You’ve got a pretty solid non-weather team here. It definitely incorporates the most important thing on this kind of team; the ability to counter weather’s deadliest sweepers. Well, all except for one. Venusaur will decimate you after a single turn of set-up with that +2 offensive boost it obtains from a sun-boosted Growth. Furthermore, it has an easy opportunity to do just that against both Starmie and Breloom. There’s actually two ways of solving this problem. My first suggestion is to switch Blissey’s moveset to the following: Stealth Rock, T-Wave, Seismic Toss, and Wish. You do lose that guaranteed recovery from Protect, but you gain Stealth Rock (the most important entry hazard in the game and an essential on all teams) along with Thunder Wave to cripple Venusaur and other fast or speed-boosting sweepers.

The second and more drastic option is to try running a Dragonite over Gyarados. This change will ensure that you keep a powerful set-up sweeper in your arsenal and gives you a great way of beating Venusaur as you can wall it to hell and back after Sleep Clause has been activated. Dragonite is also a great weapon against Sun teams in general. You’ll also be able to continue beating Skarmory as you did with Gyarados since a +1 Fire Punch scores a clean 2HKO on the metal phoenix after you factor in damage from SR. Speaking of SR, if you go this route then just run that over Toxic on Blissey. Anyways, I suggest running an Adamant (+Atk, -SAtk) nature, EV spread of 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd, and a moveset consisting of Outrage, Dragon Dance, Fire Punch, and your choice of either Earthquake or ExtremeSpeed. Oh, and don’t forget to use Multiscale with a Lum Berry as the item. Good team, good luck, and I hope this helps.

In-Summary:
- Change on Blissey’s Moveset

[Optional]:
- Dragonite > Gyarados
- Stealth Rock > Toxic on Blissey

 

[Mazz]

You’ve got a pretty solid non-weather team here. It definitely incorporates the most important thing on this kind of team; the ability to counter weather’s deadliest sweepers. Well, all except for one. Venusaur will decimate you after a single turn of set-up with that +2 offensive boost it obtains from a sun-boosted Growth. Furthermore, it has an easy opportunity to do just that against both Starmie and Breloom. There’s actually two ways of solving this problem. My first suggestion is to switch Blissey’s moveset to the following: Stealth Rock, T-Wave, Seismic Toss, and Wish. You do lose that guaranteed recovery from Protect, but you gain Stealth Rock (the most important entry hazard in the game and an essential on all teams) along with Thunder Wave to cripple Venusaur and other fast or speed-boosting sweepers.

The second and more drastic option is to try running a Dragonite over Gyarados. This change will ensure that you keep a powerful set-up sweeper in your arsenal and gives you a great way of beating Venusaur as you can wall it to hell and back after Sleep Clause has been activated. Dragonite is also a great weapon against Sun teams in general. You’ll also be able to continue beating Skarmory as you did with Gyarados since a +1 Fire Punch scores a clean 2HKO on the metal phoenix after you factor in damage from SR. Speaking of SR, if you go this route then just run that over Toxic on Blissey. Anyways, I suggest running an Adamant (+Atk, -SAtk) nature, EV spread of 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd, and a moveset consisting of Outrage, Dragon Dance, Fire Punch, and your choice of either Earthquake or ExtremeSpeed. Oh, and don’t forget to use Multiscale with a Lum Berry as the item. Good team, good luck, and I hope this helps.

In-Summary:
- Change on Blissey’s Moveset

[Optional]:
- Dragonite > Gyarados
- Stealth Rock > Toxic on Blissey

Well, seeing that ultimately, against what I had hoped for, Dragonite will be making a better fit on the team, as Sun teams are far too common, as are opposing Dragon-Type threats. I've also made the switch of Stealth Rock in place of Toxic, and the results have been pleasing. It's given more purpose to having a Rapid Spinner on the team too.

 

[Thundur]

Hey,

As you said, your lack of a solid physical wall and a scarfer makes dealing with Dragon Dancers pretty difficult. Especially with this team lacking rocks, Dragonite is a large threat, but I will adress your lack of Stealth Rocks later. Although Slowbro is underrated, I think he could work well on your team. Putting Slowbro over Gengar will help you with powerful physical attackers. I suggest you give Slowbro Ice Beam to hit Dragons better. Slowbro also gives you a reliable switch in to Terrakion, Landorus, Gliscor, DD Salamence, and many other physical threats. Honestly, Gengar looks like the weak link of your team. He really is not doing much beneficial for your team. The only thing he was doing was giving you a check to Lucario, wich Slowbro can do as well. NP variants can be handled by Starmie.

Although Blissey has Leftovers recovery, Chansey is much bulkier and can take hits from the physical side as well. Chansey unlike Blissey, is not destroyed by Psyshock. I think that an Eviolite Chansey will work better for you than Blissey. Chansey looks like the member of your team that Stealth Rocks would fit best on so a Softboiled / Stealth Rocks / Toxic / Seismic Toss move set would be beneficial to your team. Although you lose wish support, you gain rocks wich is essential for pretty much every competitive team. With Chansey's great bulk, she gets many opportunities to set up Stealth Rocks.

In a nutshell,

• Slowbro over Gengar
• Chansey over Blissey
• A move set of Stealth Rocks / Softboiled / Toxic / Seismic Toss on Chansey

Overall, pretty cool team. Down with Voltturn! GL.

 

[Harsha]

Hi Mazz. Cool team. I'll rate this when I get the time to. This is directed to Vein, though. As Mazz said, Breloom is the reason this beats Volt-Turn. Having a Starmie on the team doesn't make the team weak to Volt-Turn tactics all of a sudden. Also, with the Special Defense EVs, Breloom is surprisingly bulky. Bulk Up boosts his Defense, so U-Turners won't do much damage. It's fairly self-explanatory, really.

 

[Vein]

i get the point of breloom countering volt turn (i love this guy though, hopefully techniloom comes out). but to declare this team is a good counter to volt turn (only because of breloom?) and you see gyara, starmie and blissey is pretty vague. i'm still not convinced unless i see a log on how he used the team against volt turn.

 

[Harsha]

Ok, the point of the team is not to counter Volt-Turn. It's supposed to be a team that battles against other OU teams (and hopefully win). The point of Breloom itself is to counter Volt-Turn while sweeping.

 

[Vein]

okay. i guess i'm disappointed..

i'm actually looking for counters for volt turn that's why i turned my head on this team when i read the title and actually tested this out.

i see volt turn 90% of the time when i play ou. it makes me puke lol

 

[Mazz]

Hey,

As you said, your lack of a solid physical wall and a scarfer makes dealing with Dragon Dancers pretty difficult. Especially with this team lacking rocks, Dragonite is a large threat, but I will adress your lack of Stealth Rocks later. Although Slowbro is underrated, I think he could work well on your team. Putting Slowbro over Gengar will help you with powerful physical attackers. I suggest you give Slowbro Ice Beam to hit Dragons better. Slowbro also gives you a reliable switch in to Terrakion, Landorus, Gliscor, DD Salamence, and many other physical threats. Honestly, Gengar looks like the weak link of your team. He really is not doing much beneficial for your team. The only thing he was doing was giving you a check to Lucario, wich Slowbro can do as well. NP variants can be handled by Starmie.

Although Blissey has Leftovers recovery, Chansey is much bulkier and can take hits from the physical side as well. Chansey unlike Blissey, is not destroyed by Psyshock. I think that an Eviolite Chansey will work better for you than Blissey. Chansey looks like the member of your team that Stealth Rocks would fit best on so a Softboiled / Stealth Rocks / Toxic / Seismic Toss move set would be beneficial to your team. Although you lose wish support, you gain rocks wich is essential for pretty much every competitive team. With Chansey's great bulk, she gets many opportunities to set up Stealth Rocks.

In a nutshell,

• Slowbro over Gengar
• Chansey over Blissey
• A move set of Stealth Rocks / Softboiled / Toxic / Seismic Toss on Chansey

Overall, pretty cool team. Down with Voltturn! GL.

Hey, nice rate. I'm all for replacing Gengar, seeing that it is yes, the weakest link of the team. Slowbro just seems like a better Pokemon to shut things like Scizor better anyways. Cures the problem of Terrakion and Landorus. I'll use Chansey over Blissey, as it negates the issue of whether or not to relace Toxic with Stealth Rock. Just wondering, could Wish be used over Softboiled to maintain the wish-passing abilities for the team?

yeah..please do anything to kick those volt turn lol

Work in progress. When I manage it, you'll be the first to know.

Hi Mazz. Cool team. I'll rate this when I get the time to. This is directed to Vein, though. As Mazz said, Breloom is the reason this beats Volt-Turn. Having a Starmie on the team doesn't make the team weak to Volt-Turn tactics all of a sudden. Also, with the Special Defense EVs, Breloom is surprisingly bulky. Bulk Up boosts his Defense, so U-Turners won't do much damage. It's fairly self-explanatory, really.

I have not seen you in ages. At least, ever since Treehouse kept going down. Vein, technically is right, as sadly, Breloom wasn't really bulky enough to take the two on his own. Even though Vein was partially wrong that having said Pokemon on a team didn't make the team a threat to Volt-Turn, he was going in the right direction. My team as it stood really wasn't much of a problem for Volt-Turn. With the changes of Dragonite, Slowbro, and Chansey, it can be much more than before.

i get the point of breloom countering volt turn (i love this guy though, hopefully techniloom comes out). but to declare this team is a good counter to volt turn (only because of breloom?) and you see gyara, starmie and blissey is pretty vague. i'm still not convinced unless i see a log on how he used the team against volt turn.

I don't save logs. Quit asking for them.

Ok, the point of the team is not to counter Volt-Turn. It's supposed to be a team that battles against other OU teams (and hopefully win). The point of Breloom itself is to counter Volt-Turn while sweeping.

Actually, the purpose is to shut both volt-Turn and weather down, or at least use the two strategies against themselves. Breloom on its own will not counter Volt-Turn, which is why the team support is needed.

okay. i guess i'm disappointed..

i'm actually looking for counters for volt turn that's why i turned my head on this team when i read the title and actually tested this out.

i see volt turn 90% of the time when i play ou. it makes me puke lol

That's why teams like the one you're commenting on need to become more of a trend, as the Metagame should adapt to itself. Notice something really repetative, then use something that beats it. At least there's more than an handful of people thinking outside of the box.

Sorry this update didn't come sooner. Ended up in a 230 turn battle in UU. Then had my friend upload it to Youtube. Nerfed my opportunity of making the changes and responding.

 

[Vein]

Sorry this update didn't come sooner. Ended up in a 230 turn battle in UU. Then had my friend upload it to Youtube. Nerfed my opportunity of making the changes and responding.

gotta see this clip ^^

 

[Harsha]

Hey Mazz,

Sorry this is in so late. I see that you've already implemented a lot of changes, so I'll start from there. I think you'd be better off changing the EVs on Scizor to go 248 HP | 48 Atk | 212 SDef so you can take more Special hits from Latios and still hit it back hard. Also, if Reuniclus and other threatening sweepers already have Calm Mind boosts, you'll be able to nab handy KOs without losing too much HP. I think Wish + Protect would be more beneficial than Toxic + Softboiled. Though you will probably object to losing the ability to Poison opponents, I think that passing Wishes off to Dragonite, Breloom, and Scizor outweighs this. Also, you already run max HP, so Wish wouldn't be a major change to the EVs on Chansey. On Slowbro, I think that adding Thunder Wave > Psychic would be helpful because it neuters fast threats and you can already deal with a majority of Fighters. Conkeldurr may be a problem after this change, but I think that Starmie can hold its own and OHKO Conkeldurr. Other than these minor changes, I don't have much else to say. Cool team, and good luck!

 

[Mazz]

Hey Mazz,

Sorry this is in so late. I see that you've already implemented a lot of changes, so I'll start from there. I think you'd be better off changing the EVs on Scizor to go 248 HP | 48 Atk | 212 SDef so you can take more Special hits from Latios and still hit it back hard. Also, if Reuniclus and other threatening sweepers already have Calm Mind boosts, you'll be able to nab handy KOs without losing too much HP. I think Wish + Protect would be more beneficial than Toxic + Softboiled. Though you will probably object to losing the ability to Poison opponents, I think that passing Wishes off to Dragonite, Breloom, and Scizor outweighs this. Also, you already run max HP, so Wish wouldn't be a major change to the EVs on Chansey. On Slowbro, I think that adding Thunder Wave > Psychic would be helpful because it neuters fast threats and you can already deal with a majority of Fighters. Conkeldurr may be a problem after this change, but I think that Starmie can hold its own and OHKO Conkeldurr. Other than these minor changes, I don't have much else to say. Cool team, and good luck!

Scizor with the current EVs doesn't hit nearly as hard as its standard Choice BAnd counterparts. I'll leave the EVs unless I see Pokemon like Reuniclus or Latios being a problem, as for the time being, they really aren't, and because I'd rather not see his attack fall further, him being my go-to revenge killer.

Since the update, I've actually found the need for a wish-passer to be, well, not needed. Chansey just sponges up attacks and heals with SoftBoiled, and because Slowbro gets Regenerator, the Pokemon taking the hard hits have their own form of recovery. The only member on the team that I could see really wanting the Wish support is Dragonite, and it really hasn't even found the need for this either.

Thunder Wave sounds like a fairly decent idea too. It can help with things like Terrakion, and honestly, Psychic just hasn't been used nor needed like Thunder Wave can be.

Thanks for the rate Harsha.

EDIT: Past members are now up. Anything else this team needs fixed?

 

[LUST]

Hey

This is such a brilliant team but it fails to stand up against Sun teams. More than half of your team can be easily taken down by just Venasaur. At the same time Dragon Dance Dragonite can do some serious damage to opposite Sun team, but you don't want to lose your only check that early in the game. So in my opinion you should change DD Dragonite to a Choice Band variant. Choice Banded Dragonite is a great Sun check, paired with Scizor's priority and Chansey sun can be beaten down easily. It is also an excellent revenge killer capable of supporting your team perfectly. On the set you must want Extremespeed, Fire Punch, Earthquake, Dragon Claw can potentially be chosen over Outrage but it just depends on your style.

Choice Band Dragonite

Dragonite (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Outrage / Dragon Claw
- Fire Punch
- Earthquake
- ExtremeSpeed

Moving onto Chansey, since you'll be running CB Dragonite you definitely want Thunder Wave over Toxic to support him. T-wave makes revenge killing for Dragonite much simpler. On Slowbro you should have Ice Beam over Fire Blast, since your team is weak to Dragons and Ice Beam will be your best option. Everything else looks solid. Good luck!

 

[Mazz]

Hey

This is such a brilliant team but it fails to stand up against Sun teams. More than half of your team can be easily taken down by just Venasaur. At the same time Dragon Dance Dragonite can do some serious damage to opposite Sun team, but you don't want to lose your only check that early in the game. So in my opinion you should change DD Dragonite to a Choice Band variant. Choice Banded Dragonite is a great Sun check, paired with Scizor's priority and Chansey sun can be beaten down easily. It is also an excellent revenge killer capable of supporting your team perfectly. On the set you must want Extremespeed, Fire Punch, Earthquake, Dragon Claw can potentially be chosen over Outrage but it just depends on your style.

Choice Band Dragonite

Dragonite (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Outrage / Dragon Claw
- Fire Punch
- Earthquake
- ExtremeSpeed

Moving onto Chansey, since you'll be running CB Dragonite you definitely want Thunder Wave over Toxic to support him. T-wave makes revenge killing for Dragonite much simpler. On Slowbro you should have Ice Beam over Fire Blast, since your team is weak to Dragons and Ice Beam will be your best option. Everything else looks solid. Good luck!

I'm all for the option of switching my kind of Dragonite. This current one really hasn't dome much for the team. Slowbro has Thunder Wave, and predicting key switches into Slowbro isn't too hard to do, so I'll keep Thunder Wave on it instead of Chansey. Ice Beam on Slowbro sounds like a better idea, seeing that Scizor doesn't like Scald too much to begin with, and I really haven't used Fire Blast a whole hell of a lot.

You have no idea with how relieved I am to see another post on this thing.

 

[qwertybanana]

Try using tentacruel over starmie for a more bulkier spinner and it has a greater synergy with Chansey, Scizor, and it can annoy a lot of heatrans, conekldeeerrrps and opposing scizors which are a big threat to breloom and scizor.

Having two water/psychic doesnt seem to work well, when there is a bulkier poison type.

Try this and see what you think?:

Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Trait: Rain Dish
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
~ Toxic Spikes
~ Rapid Spin
~ Scald
~ Protect

 

[Mazz]

Try using tentacruel over starmie for a more bulkier spinner and it has a greater synergy with Chansey, Scizor, and it can annoy a lot of heatrans, conekldeeerrrps and opposing scizors which are a big threat to breloom and scizor.

Having two water/psychic doesnt seem to work well, when there is a bulkier poison type.

Try this and see what you think?:

Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Trait: Rain Dish
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
~ Toxic Spikes
~ Rapid Spin
~ Scald
~ Protect

For the fact that Chansey tanks Special hits fairly well, I'm temporarily regecting this idea. If I find Sp.D Tyranitar or Special threats to be too much of a bitch to deal with, Tentacruel will get the nod.

 

[S!lver]

I have had great success with this team. :) I managed to reach 1451 points on the PO Server, just enough to get voting reqs. I really like the core of Chansey + Slowbro, and I have to say the suggestions from Mostwanted help this team a lot.

 

[Mazz]

I have had great success with this team. :) I managed to reach 1451 points on the PO Server, just enough to get voting reqs. I really like the core of Chansey + Slowbro, and I have to say the suggestions from Mostwanted help this team a lot.

Thanks! It's good to hear I'm not the only one having moderate to decent success with this team. You didn't happen to notice any counters I may have overlooked, did you?